Alabama loss increases Jordan Lynch's Heisman chances

Sunday

Dec 1, 2013 at 10:50 AM

It is getting more and more likely that Jordan Lynch will get invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. No. 1 Alabama's last-second loss to Auburn on Saturday means Lynch maybe even has a chance to win.

I would vote for Johnny Manziel to repeat, but Manziel's off-field antics, as well as Texas A&M's four losses, have turned many voters off.

USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, citing the opening sentence of the Heisman instructions, wrote before the game that Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron deserves the award for "the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity."

Well, if voters want a clean-cut, humble team leader of an undefeated team, Jordan Lynch now matches that description far more than A.J. McCarron. And Fresno State QB Derek Carr won't split any Jordan Lynch mid-major vote now after Fresno State also lost.

ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski wrote he has moved Lynch up to No. 2 on his ballot behind Florida State's Jameis Winston: "The guy is a ballplayer. And without him ... well, Northern Illinois doesn't even want to think about that. Just watch him play and you'll understand his value." Wojciechowski then mentioned Lynch has more passing yards than McCarron and more running yards than Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon.

Winston would be a shoo-in without the serious legal issues looming over him. Nothing is proven, or even charged yet, so he still may win, but those issues cloud his candidacy. That's the reason some voters were starting to turn to McCarron.

And McCarron should now drop out not only because Alabama lost, but because of how the Crimson Tide lost. Alabama got in position for a 57-yard field goal try that turned into the game-loser instead of the game-winner, with two T.J. Yeldon runs for 33 yards.

And on Alabama's last three drives, the Crimson Tide ran eight times. McCarron's contribution was 1-for-3 passing for 8 yards.

Can you imagine NIU trying to close out a game to go to its conference championship game and basically being afraid to give Lynch the ball at the end?

Me, neither.

But the truth is, Alabama doesn't really want McCarron to throw unless the other team is gearing up to stop the run. A.J. McCarron isn't one of the 10 best quarterbacks in college football, much less the most outstanding player at any position.

I don't think Jordan Lynch is the "most outtanding" player either. But he fits the suit for what Heisman voters have turned this award into: A clean-cut paragon of virtue who his team depends on totally and/or quarterbacks an undefeated team. Jordan Lynch meets all three of those criteria, which should put him in the top five of the Heisman vote -- and even gives him a sliver of a chance to win.